Werder Bremen have made the last 16 of this seasons Champions League competition. The Green-Whites steam rolled Panathinaikos Athens wint a 5:1 (3:0) thrashing on the final match day and simultaneously profitted from FC Barcelona's 2:0 win in Udine.
Werder Bremen have made the last 16 of this seasons Champions League competition. The Green-Whites steam rolled Panathinaikos Athens wint a 5:1 (3:0) thrashing on the final match day and simultaneously profitted from FC Barcelona's 2:0 win in Udine.
Werder Bremen have made the last 16 of this seasons Champions League competition. The Green-Whites steam rolled Panathinaikos Athens with a 5:1 (3:0) thrashing on the final match day and simultaneously profitted from FC Barcelona's 2:0 win in Udine. The result means the German side leap frogs the Italians, also on seven points, to claim second place in Group C.
A 38,000 strong crowd at the Weser Stadium saw their side explode into action with Miroslav Klose getting on the end of a through ball from Torsten Frings. The German international beat the Greek sides keeper Galinovic to the ball but the advancing keeepers pace caused a collision which ended with Klose being upended and referee Peter Fröjdfeldt having no choice but to point to the spot. Johan Micoud took on the responsibility and foxed the keeper by driving the ball straight dow the middle. And all that with just two minutes on the clock.
The lead instilled a level of security and the ball flowed comfortably through the Green-White ranks. The Athens side had little to offer early on short of a misplaced attempt from the left by Papadopoulos which missed the target (9'). At the other end Torsten Frings tried his luck with a free-kick which flew a good meter over the crossbar (21').
Valdez lightning double buries Greeks
Just as the Greeks were begininning to appear a little more active, Werder found the perfect antidote. Johan Micoud flicked on a Christian Schulz free-kick into the path of Nelson Valdez who first stooped low to control the ball on his chest before slamming it into the bottom left habd corner - 2:0 (28'). The Paraguayean, who turned 22 ten days ago, enjoyed a late birthday celebration three minutes later when he struck again. Once again Micoud was involved threading a ball through for Valdez to power on to and slip his shot through Galinovic's legs to give the home a comfortable, and deserved, three goal cushion. By the end of the first half there was only one team playing football, with Frank Fahrenhorst (38') and Torsten Frings (41') both missing chances to extend Werders lead.
'Masked Crusader' Klose marks return with 4:0
Werder picked up in the second half where they'd left off in the first. Six minutes in, Micoud sent a long pass to Miroslav Klose who, despite having just returned after a cheek break and wearing a protective mask, shook off his marker and slipped the ball past the stranded keeper - 4:0. Just prior to Klose's goal was the first less than appropriate scene when Christian Schulz had to be substituted by Petri Pasanen after a heavy tackle from Torghelle (50'). Three minutes after their fourth, the homeside allowed themselves some slack defending when Morris was given a free header from a Nilsson corner to give the Greeks what was to be no more than a consolation goal with Werder quickly gathering themselves and taking control again.
Nelson Valdez came close to snatching a hat-trick when he climbed to meet a Frings cross but couldn't quite direct the ball on goal (67'). With Bremens game drawing to a close, the 0:0 scoreline in Udine had 38,000 fans at the Weser on tenderhooks... with only minutes to go a ripple of euphoria swept through the stadium as news of Barcelona taking the lead in the 85th minute reached Bremen. With Iniestas extending Barcelona's lead to two goals and Torsten Frings finishing a solo run by driving a shot past the Greek keeper to make the final score 5:1 for Werder, a spontaneous party errupted on th banks of the Weser.
Johnnie Muldoon
Werder Bremen – Panathinaikos Athen 5:1 (3:0)
Werder Bremen: Reinke - Owomoyela, Fahrenhorst, Andreasen, Schulz (50. Pasanen) - Baumann (75. Jensen) - Frings, Vranjes - Micoud - Klose, Valdez (79. Hunt)
Panathinaikos Athen: Galinovic - Vyntra, Biscan, Morris, Darlas (72. Wooter) - Flavio Conceicao, Tziolis - Nilsson (79. Kotsios), Papadopoulos - Gonzalez - Torghelle (73. Mantzios)
Goals: 1:0 Micoud (2., Foulelfmeter), 2:0 Valdez (28.), 3:0 Valdez (31.), 4:0 Klose (51.), 4:1 Morris (53.), 5:1 Frings (90+1.)
Referee: Peter Fröjdfeldt (Schweden)
Attendance: Weser-Stadion - 38.000
Yellow cards: Vranjes - Galinovic, Torghelle, Vyntra
